STRESS...

Stress: the word that seems to define the life of many high school and college students. Every single human being has experienced the feeling of stress, the difference lies in how people handle it. Since I have been in college I have had times of immense stress and others of barely any.

This past week was a very stressful one for me. Not only did I have a lot going on in school, but I also had things going on at home. I had two papers due on the same day and it was just a homework heavy week. This is my fault, but I started the papers close to the due date and I was stressed out trying to finish them. I made the situation worse by thinking of the worst case scenario, which would be not finishing them on time.

The first thing I did was put away my laptop and leaving the area I was working in. Music is one of my greatest passions and when I am stressed I immediately turn to music as a source of relief. I tend to listen to something upbeat or a song that I really like at that moment in time. To me music represents an opportunity to escape from reality for just a few minutes; you can put yourself in another place. After listening to music for about fifteen minutes I went back to work on my papers. I was newly focused, I was in a better mood, and I was motivated to do my work.

I would recommend listening to music when feeling stressed. Just find a place where you can just sit alone and relax while listening to music for just a few minutes. Another option is just sitting quietly in a place that you feel comfortable and taking a moment to just think and clear your mind. I also read about the benefits of breathing exercises. While completing a campus safari I stopped by the counseling center and grabbed a paper with ideas for stress relief. If you are feeling stressed take a deep breath and try one of the afore mentioned techniques. Good luck!

One of my favorite artists right now! Drake's music motivates me!